Obamacare Upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court, in its 7-2 decision in the Texas v. California case, refused to find that the Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional, determining that the plaintiffs (which included the state of Indiana) did not have standing to bring a claim in court against the law.
Why mention this in a COVID-19 blog? The Affordable Care Act now covers 31 million people in the United States, many of the Federal government’s COVID-19 response and relief measures have been connected to Affordable Care Act programs, and its protections have been “providing a lifeline for millions during the COVID-19 pandemic and recession.” Furthermore, the 33.5 million people who have been infected by COVID-19 might have been deemed uninsurable had it not been for the Affordable Care Act’s prohibition against denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions.
Housing, COVID-19 & End of the Eviction Moratorium
With the moratorium ending, more than 8 million households are facing foreclosure or eviction, a new Harvard study finds. Furthermore, a new report from Princeton University’s Eviction Lab finds that there are higher eviction filing rates in neighborhoods with lower COVID-19 vaccination rates. This raises serious concerns about the impact mass evictions could have on our ability to continue to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. On June 24 from 2:30-4pm ET, the Pew Trusts and the Eviction Lab of Princeton University will be hosting a free webinar: “Beyond the Moratoria: How States Are Preparing for an Evictions Surge.”
Pandemics and National Security
- Is one of the lessons of COVID-19 that we need to look more at pandemic preparedness through the lens of national security?
